Light Therapy
Posted on | May 20, 2007 | Comments Off
Since people that suffer from seasonal affective disorder can become quite debilitated from their affliction, prescribed treatments must be used diligently for them to remain affective. Not all seasonal affective disorder treatments come in the form of pills, however. Many physicians and researchers have harnessed the power of light to successfully soothe the symptoms that plague persons with seasonal affective disorder and report great success.Light therapy is currently not FDA-approved for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder or any of its associated symptoms.
This is mostly due to a lack of usable evidence that would be presented with a fair share of independent, double-blind clinical trials. Unfortunately, at this time pharmaceutical companies are more interested in receiving FDA approval for prescription drugs than light therapy. So the lack of FDA approval for seasonal affective disorder light therapy is no indication of its efficacy. In fact, most mental health professionals that deal with SAD consider light therapy to be standard protocol for treatment.
Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder generally consists of utilizing a light box which houses bright fluorescent lights. These lights are much more powerful than conventional household lighting and more closely mimic that of natural sunlight so contemporary household lamps will not work for the purpose of treating seasonal affective disorder patients. The light that shines from a SAD treatment light box mimics the sun so closely that human brain chemicals such as melatonin react to it in a positive manner that can diminish seasonal affective disorder symptoms. It works in such a way that the symptoms of SAD caused by the relative lack of bright light of winter are overcome by the brain’s natural reactions and ultimate chemical releases caused by warmer, brighter weather. The desired end result for the seasonal affective disorder sufferer is elevated moods and a general sense of peace and well being.
Other benefits of light therapy for seasonal affective disorder sufferers are numerous. By far, the most popular reason to opt for light therapy is that of a hesitation or outright dislike of antidepressants. Many people cannot handle or would just rather live without the side effects that can come with taking antidepressants. Additionally, many SAD sufferers would rather not take part in psychotherapy sessions and would rather monitor and control their own process. Light therapy generally gives the patient a sense of control over their own treatment and progress. Furthermore, pregnant women are more likely to use light therapy because of the possible harm that can occur to the fetus as a result of taking drugs. Finally, money will always be a factor in deciding which treatments a person will opt for when treating their seasonal affective disorder, particularly because treatments for the condition generally must continue indefinitely.
